Fire-escape.



G. BUSAT.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED 11017.18, 1909.

Patented May 9, 1911.

5am) and 7f%% (14's flffarney GUSTAV BUSAT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1911;

Application filed November 18, 1909. Serial No. 528,707.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAv BUsAT, a citizen of the United States, residing in .the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in F ire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fire-escapes, and

. particularly pertains to fire-escapes in which use of people of different weights.

Another object is to provide means for automatically rewindlng the cable upon its reel when it is released after being unwound.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the invention as applied to a window-casing and showing it as folded ,back against a wall.

Fig. 2 is an elevational View with a side plate removed. Fig. 3 is a detail of the tension springs showing the manner in which they are mounted. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the reel with a portion of the brake band shown in elevation. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the latch means for holding the casing.

In the drawings, A represents a metal casing which houses a reel 2 and the other operatmg parts of the device. The casing A is pivotally mounted; as at 2', in a bracket 3 of an suitable form or construction, which is rigldly secured to the inside of a windowframe 4 in such manner that the apparatus may hang against the face of :the wall on the interior of a room when not in use, and be swung outward over the window-sill when required, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It is desirable that some suitable means be employed for setting the casing A against easy rotation on its bearings when in either its innermost or outermost position. For this purpose a lug 5 is attached to the lower edge of the casing A, as shown in Fig. 5,

a point near the pivotal bearing 2, and is adapted to engage with perforations or depressions in the bracket 3 when the appa ratus is hanging against the wall, or projecting out of the window. The friction contact of the lug 5 with the bracket 3 is just enough to prevent the casing from swinging loose, but the lug 5 will slide out of engagement with the depressions in the bracket when sufiicient pull is exerted on the swinging end of the casing A.

The reel or drum 2 is preferably constructed of one piece of metal andis provided with a narrow slot 6 which extends from the outer periphery of the reel to the hub, as shown in Fig. 4, this slot being just wide enough to accommodate the cable 17. In other words, the walls of the slot are separated only the thickness of the cable, and these walls constitute the heads of the drum. The reel is revolubly mounted upon a fixed spindle 7 which extends between and is secured to the sides of the casing A. A flange or rim 8 is formed on the outer periphery of the reel 2 on each side of the slot 6, so as to present a broad surface to the frictional contact of a band-brake 9 which surrounds the reel 2. One end of the band-brake 9 is secured to a post 10 fixedly mounted on the casing A, and the other end, after passing around the reel 2, connects with tension springs 11 which connect with a lever 12 fulcrumed at 13 in the casing A.

The manner of connecting the springs 11 to the brake-band 9 and the lever 12 may be accomplished in any suitable manner, but I prefer to employ the method shown in Fig. 3, which permits of easy assemblage, and which consists of adjustably mounting a suitable yoke 14 upon the lever 13 and securing a similar yoke to the band-brake 9, between which the springs 11 extend; the springs being held by pins'15 which pass through the yokes and looped ends of the springs. Any number of springs 11 may be employed as may be found necessary to obtain the required degree of tension.

A spring 12' secured to the shaft 12 and oasin A tends to retain the band-brake 9 out 0 contact with the periphery of the reel 2. The outer end of the lever 12 carrles a sheave block 16 around which passes the rope or cable 17 which is wound on the reel 2 in the slot 6. One end of the cable 17 1s through an opening in the casing A and has a ring or catch 18 securely clamped thereto. A belt or loop 19, or .other suitable carriage, for the purpose of supporting the user, has one end permanently secured to the ring 18 and the other connected thereto by means of a suitable catch or hook.

The cable 17 is normally wound upon the reel 2, as shown, by means of a coil spring 20 which is housed upon the face of the reel 2, its inner end being secured to the axle 7 and itsouter end fastened to the peripheral flange 8 of the reel, in such manner that as the cable 17 is unwound, the spring 20 is wound upon the spindle 7 by the rotation of the reel, so that when the cable 17 is released, the unwinding of the spring 20 will rotate the reel 2 and rewind the cable 17 thereon automatically.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a load supported in the loop 19 would operate to unwind the cable-17 from the reel 2, and at the same timevpull downward upon the outer end of the lever 12. This causes the opposite end of the lever to move upward and exert a pull upon the tension springs 11-12 and the brake-band 9 in proportion to the weight or pull on the free end of the cable 17. For example, a light weight or pull on the cable 17, such as would not be sufficient to move the lever 12, would permit the cable to unwind fromthe revolving reel 2 quite freely; but if a pull of considerable weight is imposed on the cable 17, then the consequent upward. movement of the rear end of the lever 12 would cause the band-brake 9 to be drawn in tight contact upon the flange of the-reel 2, thereby reducing the speed of the reels rotation in the usual manner; The degree of friction pro duced by the brake 9 is dependent upon the tension of the springs 11 which are inter-- posed between the brake-band 9 and the lever 12. y

,It is now apparent that by reason of the springs 11 a balance can be'produced; that 1s to say, that'a certain weight or pull upon the cable 17 would be counteracted by the springs 11 at a certain point in their distension, so as to exertsuficient pull upon the brake-band 9 as to prevent the rotation of the reel 2 and consequent unwinding of the cable 17. 1 have taken advantage of this fact and provided means wherebythe tension of the springs 11 can be regulated so as to counteract given weights, or forces, which consist of perforating the casing A with a number of holes disposed on a segment radiating from the pivot or fulcrum point of the lever 12. The perforations 21 may be of any number and spaced or graduated at suitable distances apart. By insertempes ing a pin 22' through a perforation 21 it will extend across the casing A in line with the path of travel of the lever 12, thus limiting the upward movement of the rear end of the lever. Thus, the pin 22 being inserted in any desired hole, the lever 12 would be free to move upward that distance, and no more,

with the result that a certain tension is brought to bear upon the spring ll'at that the casing A out over the Window-sill and looping the belt 19 under his arms, the person may let himself out of the window, his

weight being thrown on the cable 17 pulls down on the lever 12 and up on the springs 11, until the lever contacts with the pin 22.

The tension on the springs 11 is then sufficiently great as to exert just enough pull upon the brake-band 9 and consequent friction on the reel 2 as to retard the unwinding of the'reel and let the person down slowly p,

and easily. On reaching the ground the cable 17 is released and rewound,as previously described, ready for use. In like manner, persons of different weight set the pin 22 to correspond, thus enabling them to make a descent without assistance. 7

In order to supplement or control the action of the band-brake, I provide the follow ing means: The lever 12 is tubular in form and has a rod 24 mounted therein. A coilspring 25 bears against the inner end of the rod 24 and against a fixed stop in the hollow lever 12, and tends to force the rod 24 out of the rear end of the lever 12. The outer end of the rod 24 is provided with a roller 26 which ordinarily may run against the inner side of a, door 27 mounted on the end of the casing A. By opening the door 27 the rod 24 is caused to project outside the casing by ,means of the spring 25, whereupon the rod forms an extension to the lever 12, by which an operator can regulate the friction brake by manipulating the lever rod 24 up and down to increase or decrease the brakin action of the band 9, thus permitting o greater or less speed in the lowering of a person from a great height.

This invention is particularly adapted for use in hotels,'apartment houses, ofiice buildings, and on board ships. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. In a fire-escape, the combination of a tion of the brake independent of the load on the cable.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination of a reel, a cable wound thereon, a brake operative on the reel, a lever yieldably connected with the brake for operating the brake, direction means for the cable on the lever whereby the load suspended on the cable operates the brake, and a removable pin interposable at different points in the path of said lever for regulating the brake tension according to the load on the cable.

4. In a fire-escape, the combination of a reel, a cable wound thereon, a brakeoperative on the reel, a tubular lever, yieldable means by which said lever is connected to said brake, direction means for the cable on the lever whereby .the load is suspended on the cable which operates the brake, a .pin interposable at diflerent points in the path of the lever whereby the tension of the brake may be regulated through said yieldable means, and means in said tubular lever by which the lever may be extended to permit of the lever being manually operated to apply the brake independent of the load on the cable.

5. In av fire-escape, the combination of a suitable casing, a spring-actuated reel therein, said reel having a wide rim and a narrow slot, a cable wound on the reel in said slot,

'a fulcrumed lever. in the casing, and a band brake'operative 011 the reel and yieldably connected with the lever.

6. In a fire-escape, the combination of a suitable casing, a spring-actuated reel therein, said reel having a wide rim and a narrow slot, a cable wound on the reel in said slot,

a fulcrumed lever in the casing, a band brake operative 0n the reel and yieldably connected with the lever,-and a telescoping member in said lever extendible outside the casing.

7. In a fire-esc pe, the combination of a suitable casing, a spring-actuated slotted reel therein, a cable wound in the sloton said reel, :1 fulcrumed tubular lever in the casing, a band brake operative on the reel and yieldably connected with the lever, a spring in said lever, a telescoping member in said lever extendible outside the casing, said extension member bearing on the spring in the lever, and a roller on the end of said extension member ordinarily operative on the inside ofthe casing.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' GUSTAV BUSAT. Vitnesses:

.Gno. H. S'monG,

S. ELIGH. 

